Friday, March 19, 2010

Blackbirds Welcome Spring

Singing Red-winged Blackbird

With the coming of warmer weather the numbers of blackbirds have built considerably over the last few days. The male Red-winged blackbirds were the first to arrive. I observed my first red-winged male two weeks ago. The wetlands now are ringing with their melodious song and today I observed my first female. The female stayed partially concealed flitting about the underbrush and never allowed me an opportunity for a photograph.

Grackle Pair

During this past week I began to notice grackles arriving and today good sized flocks were evident around my home. This pair perched in the top of an evergreen tree growing beside our home. Opening the door just a crack I was able to capture this image of the pair. Notice how iridescent the male is compared to the female.

The glistening male lingered for a moment after the female had departed

We have been experiencing unseasonably warm weather the over the past few days and it is to continue into Sunday. Showers forecast to begin Sunday evening will drop temperatures back into the normal range for the beginning of the week. With the weather we have been having the past few days it’s hard to imagine that just two weeks ago ice covered our lakes and wetlands and snow blanketed the ground.

10 comments:

You really captured the essence of that red-winged blackbird. I was thinking today how sad it would be if one day all these birds and familiar songs we hear didn't return each spring. It sure is the best part of life, isn't it? To look forward to the little things (that indeed are the big things;-) Love the bokeh in the picture, too!Thanks for your comment on my blog. Yes, I do have a special place to photograph these wood ducks. There were actually two pair there that day. But one pair does nest and it is a high traffic area with people feeding other ducks all the time. The woodies still hide but it is the best place to get pictures when they are in the mood.I really liked your pictures from the eagle trip, too!

Lovely pictures. I saw a lot of Red-winged Blackbirds during my stay in the US, but never heard them sing - at least I don't think I did - I have a hard time identifying European birds by their song, let alone North American ones ;)

Enjoyed all of the images, yet the Red-Winged Blackbird is my favorite. We had one visit a year ago this past winter and that is only time in 30 years they have been on our property. They do hang out about a mile, or two from here and I see them when driving about. Almost always on a fence of some kind and I can always hear their voice~

About Me

Cutting my teeth on Minolta 101 & 102's in the 70's, I am now rediscovering photography in the digital age. Having been a hunter all of my life and a Deputy Wildlife Conservation Officer for over two decades, my photography interest focuses predominately on wildlife. Photography allows me to interact with and observe wildlife in ways that consumptive only hunting could never hope to. My hope is that sharing my work through Country Captures will encourage others to find a deeper appreciation for our natural world.
My photography has been published by a number of magazines and organizations including Outdoor Life, Field & Stream, Pennsylvania Magazine, Pennsylvania Game Commission, and British Shooting Sports Association.
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